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ITU-D/2/REP/017-E

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
TELECOMMUNICATION
DEVELOPMENT BUREAU
ITU-D STUDY GROUPS / Document 2/REP/017-E
15 December 1999
Original: English
SECOND MEETING OF STUDY GROUP 1: GENEVA, 30 AUGUST - 3 SEPTEMBER 1999
SECOND MEETING OF STUDY GROUP 2: GENEVA, 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 1999

Question: All

STUDY GROUP 2

SOURCE: CHAIRPERSON STUDY GROUP 2

TITLE: REPORT ON THE SECOND MEETING OF STUDY GROUP 2,
GENEVA, 6-10 SEPTEMBER 1999

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1. Opening of the meeting (Agenda item 1)

The first plenary meeting of ITU-D Study Group 2 was opened by the Chairperson, Mr.Nabil Kisrawi (Syria), who welcomed the participants to the second meeting of ITU-D Study Group 2 in the period 1998-2002. Four Vice-Chairpersons were present, namely Mr. Edgar Borg (Malta), Mr. Vadim Nozdrin (Russia), Mr. Mohamed Ali Yusoff (Malaysia) and Mr. Gomes Zita (Mozambique). Mr.David Barr (Canada), who resigned at the end of December 1998 as a Vice-Chairperson and as a Rapporteur for Question 10/2 “Communications for rural and remote areas”, was absent.

Mr. Kisrawi highlighted the different items to be considered in the draft Agenda of the plenary meeting, and expressed the wish that the meeting will achieve its objectives and respond as quickly as possible to the needs of the Development Sector.

The meeting was attended by 160 participants from Member States and Sector Members from 74 countries and from 11 international and regional organizations. The list of participants is attached as Annex 6. Twenty of the participants were women.

In his address Mr. Hamadoun Touré, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, thanked the Chairperson as well as the Vice-Chairpersons and the Rapporteurs for the work carried out so far. He expressed the wish that the Vice-Chairperson Mr. David Barr and the Rapporteurs for Questions 10/2 and 12/2 be replaced during the meeting. To solve the question of resignation of Rapporteurs he suggested that Co-Rapporteurs be designated for each Question. Mr.Touré then raised some issues common to both ITU-D Study Groups such as: the use of only three languages (English/French/Spanish) during the Rapporteur’s Group meetings, the reduction of the volume of documentation, and the improvement of the participation of developing countries in the work of the Study Groups. He hoped that the Recommendations and the Final Reports on the different Questions be adopted as soon as possible, before the next World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2002, in order to respond as quickly as possible to the concerns of the Development Sector. The opening address of the Director is attached as Annex1.

2. Approval of the Draft Agenda and tentative schedule (Agenda item 2)

Mr. Kisrawi presented the proposed Agenda as well as the tentative schedule of meetings (Documents 2/OJ/001 and 2/ADM/002). These were adopted with minor amendments and are attached as Annex 2.

3. Appointments

3.1 Appointment of a Rapporteur for the meeting (Agenda item 3)

Mr. David Mellor (Cable & Wireless College) was appointed Rapporteur for the meeting.

3.2 Appointment of a Vice-Chairperson for the Americas (Agenda item 3.1)

In addressing this issue, Mr. Kisrawi paid tribute to Mr. David Barr for the work carried out by him during the last cycle and up to his resignation. He explained that for reasons beyond the control of Mr. Barr, the latter was unable to continue to assume his responsibilities in Study Group2. After consultation with the Administrations concerned, the Director of BDT proposed to nominate Mrs.Doreen McGirr (USA) as Vice-Chairperson for the Americas. He stressed her competence and the fact that she will be the first lady in the Management Team of the Study Groups since their existence. The proposal was applauded by the participants. The Director wished Mrs.McGirr every success in her task as Vice-Chairperson representing the Americas region. The Chairperson invited Mrs. McGirr to join the team of Vice-Chairpersons on the podium. She said it was a pleasure for her to be there, and expressed her gratitude to the Americas region for their support.

4. Report of the First Meeting of Study Group 2 (Geneva, 7-9 September 1998) (Agenda item 3.2)

Document 2/REP/007 was introduced by the Chairperson, and it was approved without amendments.

5. Results of the Plenipotentiary Conference (Minneapolis, 1998) with relevance to the work of the Study Groups (Agenda item 4)

After presentation of Document 2/057 from the BDT Secretariat, the Chairperson made the following additional comments on some other relevant results of the Plenipotentiary Conference:

*  Strengthening the role of the private sector. These Members will have the same rights as the Member States in approving Study Group 2 Questions and Recommendations due to their technical nature. As to other issues with relevance to Study Group 1, the Plenipotentiary Conference considered it premature to give the same rights to Sector Members as granted to Member States (Reference: PP Resolution 82 - Approval of questions and recommendations). The Convention and Constitution reflecting this right will come into force on 1 January 2000.

*  The Telecommunication Development Advisory Board (TDAB) has become the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG), and is now an open group. TDAG could be empowered by any World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) decision, with any tasks of this Conference.

Participants are kindly asked to take note of the following relevant PP Resolutions for the work of Study Group 2:

a) Resolution 25(Rev.) - “Strengthening the regional presence” and the role of regional offices in promoting the work of the Study Groups.

b) Resolution 36(Rev.) - “Telecommunications in the service of humanitarian assistance”, as well as Resolution 98 - “The use of telecommunications for the safety and security of humanitarian personnel in the field”, and the role of the Amateur Radio National Associations in providing telecommunications for the safety and security of humanitarian personnel.

c) Resolution 66(Rev.) - “Documents and publications of the Union”, which instructs the Secretary-General, among other things, to implement strategies and mechanisms to enable all Member States and Sector Members to acquire and use the facilities required to access documents and publications of the Union in electronic format.

d) Resolution 70 - “Inclusion of gender perspective in the work of ITU”, and its relevance to the work of Study Group 2.

e) Resolution 71 - “Strategic plan for the Union 1999-2003”, with emphasis on those priorities for the development sector during this cycle and the role of the Study Groups in meeting such priorities.

f) Resolution104 - “Reduction of the volume and cost of documentation for ITU conferences”, and its implications on the work of Study Group 2 as regards its documents.

g) Resolution 105 - “Urgent need for prompt action to address the year 2000 problem”, with its relevance to the work of Study Group 2 under Agenda item 10.1.

The meeting took note of all these relevant decisions and Resolutions.

6. Results of the TDAG meeting (Geneva, 8-9 April 1999) with relevance to the work of the Study Groups (Agenda item 5)

6.1 Proposed Guidelines for Rapporteurs (Agenda item 5.1)

This document (2/059) as amended by the TDAG meeting was presented by the Chairperson and was adopted by the meeting of the Study Group as the main guidelines for Rapporteurs’ work in the Study Group.

6.2 Text of modified Questions 10b/2 and 11/2 (Agenda item 5.2)

6.2.1 Question 10b/2 - Development of multi-purpose community telecentres

The first meeting of Study Group 2 in this cycle (September 1998) adopted a new version of Question 10b/2. In accordance with WTDC-98 Resolution 4, section 3, item 3, the proposal was submitted to the TDAG meeting in March 1999 for its consideration. The new version, endorsed by the TDAG meeting, is reflected in Document 2/019(Rev.1). The meeting took note of this document and considered Question 10b/2 (modified) as the valid text for this Question.

6.2.2 Question 11/2 - Examine digital broadcasting technologies and systems, including cost/benefit analyses, assessment of demands on human resources, interoperability of digital systems with existing analogue networks, and methods of migration from analogue to digital technique

At their meeting in September 1998, the two ITU-D Study Groups decided to divide Question 13/2 “Methods to enhance the viability of public service broadcasting, particularly focusing on developing countries” in two parts: the technical part to be added to Question 11/2 and the regulatory part to constitute a new Question 16/1 for Study Group 1. The new version of Question 11/2, submitted to TDAG during its March 1999 meeting, was adopted without amendments. The meeting took note of this endorsement and considered the modified version of Question 11/2 as the valid text for this Question.

6.3 Deletion of Question 13/2 (Agenda item 5.3)

The meeting took note of the acceptance of the TDAG meeting held in March 1999 to delete the former Question 13/2.

6.4 Other relevant issues (Agenda item 5.4)

6.4.1 Document 2/058 - Summary Report of the Management Team Meeting of ITU-D Study Groups 1 and 2

This document was introduced by the Chairperson for information. The meeting took note of it.

6.4.2 Document 2/078 - Report of the meeting of the TDAG Subgroup dealing with private sector issues (Geneva, 7 April 1999)

The document was presented by the Chairperson since the author, Mr. Ronald Davidson (USA) was not able to attend the meeting. This document was noted.

6.4.3 Document 2/087 - Transfer of expertise between Centres of Excellence

Mr. David Mellor, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Special Group on Human Resource Development, presented this document, which relates the Ecole supérieure multinationale de télécommunications (ESMT) to the joint organization by Cable & Wireless and BDT of a seminar at ESMT in Senegal (21-23 June 1999) for participants from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo, ESMT (Senegal), Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. It outlines the experiences of a Centre of Excellence which currently delivers all its lectures in English, sharing knowledge with a French-speaking institutions. It also raises difficulties encountered. The French delegation, as well as Mr.Philippe Mège (Thomson-CSF), contested one sentence in this document. Their statements are contained in the report on Question 15/2 (2/REP/015(Rev.1)):

Mr. Mellor explained that the problem highlighted in the sentence relating the changes occurring in both the English- and French-speaking world, was raised by a French-speaking participant during this seminar.

7. Study Group work organization (Agenda item 6)

7.1 Appointment of a Rapporteur for Question 12/2 (Agenda item 6.1)

Mr. Kisrawi, Chairperson of Study Group 2, informed the meeting that, Mr. B. Peuch (Paradyne), due to constraints beyond his control, had to resign as Rapporteur for Question 12/2 “Examine broadband communications over traditional copper wires on aspects of technologies, systems and applications“. Mr. Rolando Bottoni (Italy) had been consulted and had accepted to assume the task of Rapporteur ad interim until the end of December 1999. The Chairperson requested to convey to Mr. Peuch the thanks of Study Group 2 for the excellent work carried out by him by initiating the preparation of the Reference Book on xDSL. Mr.Bottoni, who could not attend the meeting, was thanked for the task accomplished by revising the Reference Book on xDSL, and it was hoped that he would accept to continue this work. The BDT Secretariat will contact him for his decision as to his nomination as Rapporteur for Question 12/2.


7.2 Appointment of a Rapporteur for Question 10/2, and of Co-Rapporteurs for each sub- Question (Agenda item 6.2)

Mr. Kisrawi referred to his statement regarding the replacement of Mr. David Barr as Vice-Chairman for the Americas region and as Rapporteur for Question 10/2. He stressed the competence of Ms Jane Coffin (USA) and proposed to appoint her as Rapporteur for this Question. This proposal was endorsed by the meeting. The Director of BDT congratulated MsCoffin and thanked the Administration of the United States of America for providing the Study Groups with one of their experts. Ms. Coffin was entrusted with the task to nominate Co-Rapporteurs for each sub-Question of Question 10/2.

7.3 Appointment of Co-Rapporteurs for each Question (Agenda item 6.3)

The Chairperson recalled the concerns of the Director of BDT about the continuity of the work if Rapporteurs resigned or were unable to participate in meetings. Together with the Chairperson of Study Group 1 he endorsed the Director’s proposal to designate at least one Co-Rapporteur per Question, who will replace the Rapporteur in his absence. He urged all Rapporteurs to think of proposing Co-Rapporteurs. The delegate of Mali raised the question of designation of numerous Associate Rapporteurs and other active participants. This issue will be taken into consideration by the Group on the structure and working methods of the ITU-D Study Groups (see Item 8 below).

8. Reactivation of the Drafting Group (Agenda item 7)

8.1 Document 2/063 “Reference document for the ITU-D Study Groups”, presented by the BDT Secretariat, is a proposal to group pertinent information relating to the functioning of the
ITU-D Study Groups. The meeting accepted the suggestion of the Chairperson to endorse the proposal and to have the reference document with the necessary revisions available in due course for consideration by the next World Telecommunication Development Conference in February 2002.

8.2 Document 2/064 “Reactivation of the Drafting Group on the structure and working methods of the ITU-D Study Groups”. This document from the BDT Secretariat was already presented during the meeting of ITU-D Study Group 1 (30 August - 3 September 1999). Mr.Kisrawi, the Chairperson, confirmed that the proposed terms of reference of the Group had been prepared during the Study Group 1 meeting, who had accepted the principle of such a Group to be renamed Group on the structure and working methods of the ITU-D Study Groups. Study Group 1 had proposed to nominate Mrs Elizabeth Nzagi (Tanzania) to chair the Group, and to transfer the issue to TDAG for relevance.

8.3 Document 2/120(Rev.1) “Terms of Reference of the Drafting Group on the structure and working methods of the ITU-D Study Groups” was presented by Mr.Dietmar Plesse (Germany), who had chaired the working group in Study Group 1 that prepared these draft terms of reference. He recalled that the original Drafting Group, created during the study period 1995-1998, had helped to improve the working methods of the ITU-D Study Groups. He said that it is essential to take action to develop further proposals which will improve the efficiency and the speed of the work of the Study Groups. In particular, more improvements in the streamlining and simplification of procedures and document flow will contribute to the efficiency of the functioning of the ITU-D Study Groups. The meeting endorsed Document 2/120(Rev.1). Study Group 2 took note of the proposal by Study Group 1 to nominate Mrs Nzagi as Chairperson of the Group, and decided to transfer this suggestion, as well as Document 2/120(Rev. 1) to TDAG for consideration.